02.24.2009 10:34 am
Will you give something up or do something extra for Lent?
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Fat Tuesday celebrations can mean only one thing — Lent’s coming. Ash Wednesday marks the start of the 40-day season of penance, prayer and preparation for Easter Sunday, which arrives April 12 this year.
Some people give up something they enjoy during Lent — alcohol, sweets, TV. Some do something extra — volunteer work, extra prayers, extra church services. And of course, some people do nothing.
There’s always a kid, somewhere, who pledges to give up vegetables, or homework, or chores. Nice try.
- A Catholic receives ashes from a priest on Ash Wednesday.
Do you mark the Lenten season with any change in your behavior, or actions? What will you do for the 2009 season? You still have time — remember, it doesn’t start until Wednesday.
I usually give up Lent for Lent.
Damn, EJ! I was gonna say that.
I give up Fish Frys for Lent (or any other time). Pass the steak, please.
……………Give up something for Lent, NO…. Do something extra for Lent, perhaps so, if you consider a non-Catholic getting a fish dinner at a fish-fry (just because I like fish-fry dinners) to be doing something extra.
For lent, I plan to eat a steak every Friday night. I do like fish fries, though. I wish more Catholic churches would have the fish fries with the alcohol and gambling more often throughout the year. The gambling at the yearly picnics is my favorite thing. The first one I went to, at Joan of Arc, there was a guy literally yelling “Bet a dollar for Jesus!”. Does the Pope approve of getting liquored up and gambling in the name of the Lord?
It is a good time to do something worth while and charitable. Give up something you like, lose a few pounds, fell better.
I am very disappointed today. The majority of posts I see reading TOTD on a daily basis tend to be very socially and politically conservative. Does your absence today mean that you are not also die-hard Catholics? Or is this just not a topic that you can use to rant about something?
I’m going to give up paying taxes for lent!
I grew up Catholic, unfortunately. I gave up things like candy, soda, and TV. But who did that help? Is that really on par with what you believe Jesus gave you?
Instead, I call for all non-hypocritical Catholics to hold a homeless foot wash. That’s what Jesus would have done. I’ve yet to meet any Christian/Catholic who has ever washed a homeless person’s feet. I’ve met a lot that’ll give money for someone else to do it, though.
I am glad that these columns provide folks with a venue to mock traditions of the Catholic church and to make fun of things they don’t understand. I generally give up something that is normal for me, alcohol or sweets, and the money I would spend on them, I will donate to our local food pantry, and I will spend time voluntering at both my parish fish fry which have have done for more than 20 years, and at some social service program. This way I can live out the gospel of the day, which tells us to fast, pray and give alms.
It seems that non-Catholics will always mock Catholics, but there is something to be said for the religion’s strong traditions. Honestly, as a college student I have gotten away from going to church on Sunday and am going to be sure to make a habit of it that will hopefully stick. I remember teachers in my Catholic schools saying that you can also do something extra instead of giving something up, all considering the gospel.